HMS Hurst Castle

October 23rd, 2011

On her last day’s work of the 2011 season the Rosguill has found HMS Hurst Castle in a little over 80m of water around 12/14 miles north of Tory Island.

HMS Hurst Castle was a British Royal Navy, Castle – class corvette of 1,010 tons built in 1943/1944 which were an updated version of the much more numerous Flower-class corvettes of the Royal Navy, and started appearing during late 1943. They were equipped with radar as well as asdic. On the 1st September 1944 she was torpedoed by German submarine U-482 and sunk. 16 men lost.

Diagram of wreck by diver below.

This is probably the last of His Majesty’s Ships to be discovered in my area off north Donegal. It is a really great find and I hope that in 2012 some photographs and video may be taken and be put online. Also, perhaps place a fitting tribute on her in memory of the men who lost their lives.

The mortar launcher in the diagram is very similar or the same as : – http://www.civilization.ca/cwm/exhibitions/navy/objects_photos_search-e.aspx?section=4-D&id=28&page=1

The torpedos are very similar to these: – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Hedgehog_anti-submarine_mortar.jpg

Also see – http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/69.html